Automatic stoker



Jan. 5, 1932. R. E BRESSLER AUTOMATI C STOKER Filed Nov. 15, 1930 5Sheets-Sheet 1 VE U Jan. 5, 1932. B'RESSLER 1,840,019

AUTOMATIC STOKER Filed Nov. 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 70 afar Elfineas62.

Jam. 5, 1932. R. E. BRESSLER 1,340,019

AUTOMATI C STOKER Filed Nov, 15, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet is 7w? EYE/553561:

Jan. 5, 1932 R BRESSLER LQQQUEQ AUTOMATIC STOKER Filed Nov. 15, 1950 5Sheets-$heet 4 Jan. '5, 1932. R. E. BRESSLER AUTOMATIC STOKER Filed Nov.15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan; 5, 1932 UNITED sraras ROBERTE.'IBRESSLER, or OREGON, VILLINOIVSV I immun s'roxEn Application maNovember 15, 1 930. Serial 110495.816.

My invention relates to automatic stokers for-stoking fuel such as coal,and in general,

the object of the invention is to provide improved means for morereadily and accurate- 1y controlling thedriving of the fuel feed member,such as a screw, for the desired rate of' feed of the fuel.

More in detail animportant object of the invention is to provide acompact, simple, and efficient and adjustable gearing train between thedriving source, such as an electric motor which will rotate at acomparatively high speed, and the fuel feeding member in order to'obtainpowerful slow operation of such member and uniform feed of fuel at thedesired rate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gearing traincomprising an epicyclic gear cluster driven by the driving source to 2primarily reduce the speed, and cone gearclusters between the epicyclicgearing cluster and the feeding member, together with means foraccurately and readily selecting compan-- ion-gears of the cone clustersfor operation, so that after initial reduction] of speed by theepicyclic cluster, the speed maybe further reduced, througha'considerable range. The above specified and other features ofthe'invention are incorporated in the structure disclosed on thedrawings, 1n whichv drawings: 1 Figure l is a plan view of a Stoker;Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the gearing train, with thegear box and part of the gear mechanism in vertical section Figure 4 isan enlarged sectionon plane IVIV of Figure 1; I

Figure 5 is a. section on plane V-Y of 'FigureB; Figure 6 is a sectionon plane VIVI of Figure 3;

F igure 7 is an enlarged plan view of the hand wheel for controlling theadjustment of the cone gear clusters; and

Figure 8 is a section on planev VIII-VIII of Figure 4. v

'As shown on the drawings:

The stoker shown comprises a hopper; 1,. havingthe fuel outlet 2communicating wlth.

the barrel 3-whichleads to the steppeddischarge outlet or nozzle 4within the furnace. Within thebarrel' 3 is the fuelfeed'screw 5 which isto be driven by my improved gearing train to feed the fuel to dischargeit through the outlet 4. 1

At the outer end of the barrel is secured thereto the gear box 6, adrive shaft 7 extending transversely through one end of the box nearthe'top thereof, oneend of the shaft; being connectedwithadrivingsource, such 1 asan electric motor (not shown) the other i end'ofthe shaft being secured to therotatable fan element within the fanhousing 8 from which air is delivered for combustion purposes. The shaft7 is jouralled byineans of ball bearings '9 held within suitablecompartments'by glands 10 and 11, the gland 11=- being extended to forma flange 12 which is secured to the fan housing 8.

The inner wall of the gear box 6 has a hub 13 receiving a bushing 14 forjournalling one a detachable cover 18 which has the'hub 19' receivingthe bushing 20 for-journalling the outer end of the transmission shaft15.

The epicyclic differential gearing cluster E comprises a Worm wheel 21whose hub 22 surrounds the transmission shaft15 a' bushing 23'beingpreferably interposed, this gear being free to rotate on the shaft.Between I the outersi'de of the gear 21' and the cover 18 i of the gearbox is disposed a gear 2st which surrounds the shaft '15 but is heldagainst ro-' tation'by means of pins 25 Just inside of I the gear 21 ahub'26 surrounds the shaft 15, the outer end of the hub forming a gear27 I and the inner end forming the gear 28. I

The gear21 has one or more transversely extending hubs 29 each receivinga shaft 30, a'bushing 31 being preferably interposed. I i

' have shown two such bushings and shafts placed diametrically oppositeand equal-dis tances from, the axis of the transmission shaft 15;

15. Each shaft 30 has secured to its outer end a pinion 32 which mesheswith the stationary gear 24. The inner end of each shaft 30 has securedthereto a pinion 33 which meshes with the gear 27 on the hub 26.

Within the gear box 6 the shaft 7 carries a worm 34 which meshes withthe worm wheel 21 so that the comparatively high speed of the motor isprimarily reduced to slower rotation of speed of the gear 21. The speedof rotation of the hub 26 will be still less depending upon the gearingarrangement in the gear cluster E. For example,the gears 24 and 27 maybe of the same size and have each twenty-four teeth, while the pinions32 could have twelve teeth each and the pinions 33 only eleven teetheach. lVith such arrangement a complete rotation of the gear 21 willresult in only a two tooth advance of the gear 27. The comparativelyhigh speed of the driving motor is thus reduced by the epicyolicdifferential gearing cluster E to very slowly rotate the hub 26.

At oneside of and below the transmission shaft 15 is the countershaft 35parallel therewith. This countershaft is journalled at its inner end inthe hub 36 extending from the rear wall of the gear box and at its outerend is journalled in a wall 37 extending up wardly from the bottom wallof the gear box as clearly shown in Figure 3. J ournalled on thecountershaft is a hub 38 on which are the gears 39, 40, 41, and 42,these gears being all fixed on the hub and the outer gear 39 being ofthe largest diameter, the gears forming a cone cluster. Inside of thegear 28 on the hub 26 the transmission shaft 15 supports gears 43, 44,and 45 which mesh respectively with the countershaft gear 40,41, and 42,the gear 28 meshing with the gear 39. The gears on the shaft 15 thusform a companion gear cluster for the gear cluster on the countershaft.

Interposed between the gears on the shaft 15 are the spacer washers 46,and between the gear 45 and the hub 13 is interposed a spacer washer 47.The gears on shaft 15 are free to rotate thereon unless clutchedthereto.

A clutch bar 48 is shiftable within the axial bore 49 of the shaft 15and has a radial groove 50 for receiving the clutch key 51 which ispivoted at its outer end by means of a pin 52 extending through the bar48. The shaft 15 has the slot 53 in registration with the groove 50through which slot the clutch key may extend. The gears 28, 43, 44, and45 have respectively the keyways or grooves 54, 55, 56, and 57 and atthe end of the clutch key 51 is the ridge 51 which is curvedlongitudinally as clearly shown in Figure 4. This end 51' is adapted toengage in the keyway of any desired gear on the shaft 15 to clutch suchgear to the shaft. A spring 58 interposed between the bottom of thegroove 50 and the end of the clutch key tends to swing the clutch keyupwardly and to hold it in clutching engagement in the keyway of theselected gear.

The bore 59 at the outer end of the shaft 15 is of increased diameter toreceive a screw 60 for free longitudinal movement therein. At its innerend the screw has the diametrically extending T slot 61 for receivingthe T end 62 on the clutch bar 48, this end being of circularcross-section so that the bar 48 may rotate with the shaft 15 relativeto the screw.

A U-shaped bracket 63 is secured to the cover 18 of the gear box andsupports a hub 64 which is concentric with the shaft 15'. This hubguides the cylindrical head 60' of the screw 60, the head having thelongitudinal groove 65 receiving the key 66in the hub so that the screwmay shift axially but is restrained from rotating. Between the bracketand the bushing 20 the screw receives thehub 67 of a hand wheel 68 andas this wheel is turned its threaded engagement with the screw willcause the screw to be shifted laterally and with it the clutch bar 48. Apointer 69 extends upwardly from the screw head and travels in a slot 70in the hub 64 to cooperate with indications 71 to thereby indicate whichof the gears on the shaft 15 is clutched thereto by the end 51' of theclutch key 51. I

Describing the operation, the epicyclic differential gear cluster Etranslates the comparatively high speed of the driving motor into veryslow speed of the hub 26. On the drawing the clutch key 51 is shownclutching the large gear 45 to the shaft 15 so that the rotation of thehub 26 is transmitted through the gear 39, the hub 38 on thecountershaft 35 and the small gear 42 to the clutched gear 45 on shaft15, and the feed screw 5 will then be rotated at the slowest possiblespeed. The gears 43 and 44 being unclutched will rotate idly on theshaft 15. If it is desired to increase the speed of the screw shaft thehand wheel 68 is turned in the proper direction to cause outwardshift'of the bar 48, and during such shift the rounded end 51 of theclutch key will be cammed down by the washer 46 clear of the keyway 57in the gear 45 so that the gear 45 will be entirely released from theshaft 15 before the end 51 can enter the keyway of the next gear 44which gear will then be clutched to the shaft 15 to increase the speedof rotation of the feed screw. By turning the hand wheel, the clutch keymay be brought into association with any desired gear on the shaft 15for the desired speed of rotation of the screw, and when the clutch keyenters the key way 54 of the hub 26, the hub will be clutched directlyto the shaft and the screw 5 will be driven with the correspondingspeed. The pin or pointer 69 by cooperating with indications 71 willindicate to the attendant the exact location of the end 51 ofv theclutch key so that full and accurate clutching is assured.

My improved gearing train is compactly arranged and protected within thegear box 6, and may be kept adequately lubricated by oil filled into thegear box. The gear elements are of simple, Standard form so that thecost of manufacture and assembly is materially reduced. A light andcomparatively small horsepower motor may beemployed and the high speedthereof is translated into powerful slow operation of the fuel feedscrew. If it is desired to stop the feed screw at any time, it isunnecessary to stop the motor as the hand wheel 68 may be turned untilthe pointer 69 is midway between two of the indications 71 in whichposition the clutch end 51' of the clutch key Wlll be held by one of thewashers 46 out of clutching engagement and the shaft 15 will not be Iturned.

The clutch shown and described represents 4 a practical and efficientembodiment of the various features of my invention but the invention isnot to be understood as being limited to the details set forth asmodifications in construction and arrangement and operation may be madewithout departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as outlinedby the appended claims.

I claim as follows:

1. In automatic stoker mechanism, the

' combination of a fuel feeding member, a driving source, a transmissionshaft connected with said feeding member, transmission gears rotatableon said shaft, a counter shaft, a gear cone on said countershaftcomprising a 1 plurality of gear sections meshingwith respective gears,on said transmission shaft, a shiftable clutch key within saidtransmission I shaft, a screw restrained against rotational movement, acoupling connecting said key and screw for permitting rotation of saidkey with said shaft, and a hand wheel having threaded engagement withsaid screw whereby said screw and said clutch key may be shiftedlongitudinally for the selective clutch engagement of said key with thegears on said transmission shaft. 7

2. In combination with a fuel feed element, a drive shaft therefor, atransmission cone of relatively rotatable gears on said shaft, a

driving source having connection with one of said gears, a countershaft,a transmission cone on said countershaft comprising a plurality of gearsections meshingwiththe respective gears on said shaft, a clutch barshiftable within said shaft and rotatable therewith, a clutch key onsaid bar, a non-rotatable screw coupled tosaid bar, and means foraxially shifting said screw for shifting said bar to bring said key intoposition for the selective clutchingiof said shaft with the gearsthereon. '3

3.1-.Incombination with the fuel feeding I element of an automaticstoker, of a single continuous drive shaft therefor, a fixed gearconcentric with said shaft, a second gear'rotatable on said shaft, aworm wheel rotatable pinion secured to said cross shaft and meshing withsaid stationary gear, a transmission pinion secured to said cross shaftand meshing with said second gear, a plurality of transmission gearsrotatable on said shaft except when clutched thereto, one of saidtransmission gears being connected with said second gear, acountershaft, a hub on said countershaft supporting a plurality of gearsmeshing with the respective transmission gears on said shaft, a clutchkey within said shaft, and means for shifting said clutch key for theselective clutching of said shaft to the transmission gears thereon.

4. In automatic stocker mechanism, the combination of a fuel feedingmember, a driving source, a gear case between said feeding member andsaid source, a continuous transmission shaft extending through said gearcase and journalled by the end Walls thereof, an epicyclic diflerentialgearing cluster within said gear case concentric with said shaft andhaving one of its gear members connected with said driving source, agear cone cluster concentric with said shaft and having one of its gearelements connected with said epicyclic cluster, a countershaft withinsaid gear case, a gear cone on said counter shaft having gear sectionsconnected with the gears of the gear cone on said shaft, and means forselectively clutching said shaft to the gears thereon.

5. In automatic stoker mechanism, the combination'of a fuel feedingmember, a driving source, a gear case between said feeding member andsaid source, a continuous transmission shaft extending through said gearcase and journalle'd by the end walls thereof, an epicyclic differentialgearing cluster within said gear case concentric with said shaft andhaving one of its gear members connected with said driving source, agear cone cluster concentric with said shaft and having one, of its gearelements connected 'with said epicyclic cluster, a counterhaft withinsaid gear case, a gear cone on said counter shaft having gear sectionsconnected with the gears of the gear cone on said shaft, a clutch keyshiftable within said shaft and rotatable therewith, a screw extendinginto said shaft and restrained against rotational movement, a couplingbetween the screw and clutch key permitting rotational movement of thekey with the shaft, and means engaging said screw and operable to causeaxial shift of the screw and thereby shift of the 'clutch key forse1ective clutching of said shaft with the cone gears thereon.

5 In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Oregon,Ogle County,

Illinois.

ROBERT E. BRESSLER.

